I’m impulsive and impatient when it comes to almost everything. No long thought out plan for me – instead I fly by the seat of my pants in the hope that my intuition will guide me in the right direction through life. This applies to cooking too. Occasionally I plan but mostly I open the fridge and hope there is enough in there for me to do something with, and quick. Continue reading “5 minute vegan Pad Thai”
Pasta and I had a love affair for some years. My children grew up on the stuff and it was always the go-to dish for me throughout my 20s and 30s. If pasta was on the menu, things were going to be alright in my world. I was never wild on meat, could take it or leave it really, but pasta and bread were on top of my list of stuff I would struggle without. Carb girl, me.
Fast forward and today I can’t wait to get my spiraliser out to make courgette pasta smothered in my home-made pesto – the more colourful courgettes the better too. Do I eat regular, gluten packed pasta today? Not if I can help it – on the rare occasions that I do, the effects are immediate. I am NOT gluten intolerant or allergic, yet I feel bloated, tired and edgy. Fresh veg wins hands down every time for me these days. The brilliant nutritionist of the moment, Amelia Freer (credited with Sam Smith’s recent weight loss), says in her excellent book Eat, Nourish, Glow that she eats 10-13 servings of fresh veg and fruit PER DAY! Only three of those servings are fruit by the way. The rest is pure veg in all varieties. She glows and is testament to what a great diet can do. Continue reading “Courgetti and other things..”
One of the (few) benefits of colder evenings is that I get to experiment with autumn and winter recipes – in August! Who’d have guessed? We’re still unpacking and generally settling back into the house after summer holidays so last night’s dinner HAD to be quick as well as warming. With a few left overs in the fridge the focus was on the broth. I used a red thai curry paste as a base that I buy from the health food shop, ready made, suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
I know you can make this paste yourself but with no ingredients at home this brand is a great go to in need. It is so intensly flavoured that even a tiny bit adds richness and gravitas to any broth you make – and if the broth is good the world is your oyster. You can add almost any veg, fish or seafood and you’ve got yourself a rocking meal that infuses your body with goodness too. I used wild salmon as the ‘meat’ ingredients but if you are vegan you can easily leave that out and the soup would be just as good.
Here’s what went into last night’s soup:
Bowl of Goodness
Serves 2
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2″ piece of ginger root
2 tsp red thai curry paste, concentrated
coconut oil
edamame beans
1 courgette, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 small can of coconut cream
1 fillet wild salmon (already cooked)
salt and pepper
fresh parsley
Start with chopping onions, garlic and ginger finely. Add to pan with large table-spoon of coconut oil, the more the yummier I say. Add a couple of teaspoons of the red thai curry paste and mix with the coconut oil and the onions for a couple of minutes until the paste has dissolved and the onion mixture softened (not burned). Add the courgettes and the red pepper and stir continuously until softened, then add the edamame beans and the coconut cream and stir until all is coverd in the cream. Add salmon and turn down the heat and let simmer under lid for about 5-7 minutes. You may need to add a bit of water if you Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in pretty bowls and garnish with parsley. For a meatier meal you can add rice noodles and/or mushrooms to the soup, I just didn’t have any at home. Hope you enjoy the soup!! Happy Sunday! x
